Grains form the base
of the Food Guide Pyramid, and nutritionists are constantly nagging us
to eat more of them. Sure they're a bit bland, but they're
high in nutrients, low in fat, and dirt cheap.

Cooks usually consign
grains to
supporting roles, letting them absorb the flavors of other ingredients while adding texture and body. It
often helps to toast grains briefly before cooking them so as to bring
out the flavor and speed up the cooking time.

Most
grains have been processed by the time they reach us. The first step
at the mill is to remove the
inedible outer hull, yielding what's called a whole grain, berry, or
groat. Whole grains are nutritious, but they're chewy and slow to
cook. To fix that, the nutritious bran layer beneath the hull is
sometimes scoured off as well, resulting in a pearled or polished
grain. Whole or polished grains are then sometimes ground,
rolled, or chopped into flakes, small grits, meal, or flour.

whole grains = berries = groats Notes: These
are grains that are either unprocessed or stripped only of their tough outer hulls.
By themselves, whole grains are bland, so it's best to combine them with
more assertive ingredients. It also helps to toast the grains before
cooking them--this boosts their flavor and speeds up the cooking a
bit.

pearled
grains = pearl grains = polished grains Notes: These
are more processed than whole grains. This makes them less nutritious but
they cook up faster and have a more tender texture.

grits
= cracked grains = steel-cut grains Notes: These are
grains that have been cut into smaller pieces so they cook faster.

flakes
= rolled grains Notes: These are grains that are steamed,
rolled, and flaked. They can be cooked briefly to make a hot cereal,
sprinkled on casseroles, or added to granola mixes, cookies, or soups.

meal
Notes: These are whole grains that are ground until they have
the consistency of sand. They're then used to make hot cereals and
breads. Stone-ground meal is ground between
stones, giving it a grittier consistency.

bran =
polishings Notes: This is the made from the
outer husk of the grain, and it's a rich source of fiber. There are two
types of fiber: insoluble fiber, which passes right through us
undigested, and soluble fiber, which is digested by friendly bacteria in
our intestines. Insoluble fiber is found in wheat bran and corn bran, and
it's good for flushing out the intestines. Soluble fiber, found in oat
bran, makes you feel full, so it's good for dieters. Substitutes:
legumes (These are also high in fiber.)

germ
Notes: This is the exceptionally nutritious embryo found within
the grain kernel. It contains oil, so it has
a relatively short shelf life. Many cooks store small jars of it in the refrigerator,
and use small amounts of it to fortify breads and cereals.

flour Notes: Flours are made from
grains or nuts that are finely ground to a powdery consistency.
They're used to make breads and other baked goods, but they also serve to
thicken stews and sauces and to coat foods about to be fried.